---
url: /payglocal-whmcs/requirements.md
description: >-
  What your server and PayGlocal account need before you install PayGlocal for
  WHMCS — PHP, WHMCS, ionCube, a merchant account and the RSA keys it uses.
---

# Requirements

Before you install PayGlocal, spend a couple of minutes confirming your server and your PayGlocal
account are ready. Almost every requirement here is already met by a normal WHMCS install — the
main things unique to this gateway are your **PayGlocal merchant account** and the pair of **RSA
keys** it uses to sign and encrypt requests.

## Server and software

| Requirement | Details |
| --- | --- |
| **PHP** | 8.2 or newer (runs on 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5) |
| **WHMCS** | 8.13 or newer, or 9.x |
| **ionCube Loader** | 13.0.2 or newer (see below) |
| **PHP extensions** | `curl`, `openssl` |
| **SSL certificate** | Required for the payment callback endpoint |
| **PayGlocal merchant account** | A PayGlocal Merchant ID (MID) |
| **RSA keys** | Merchant private + PayGlocal public `.pem` keys, each with a **Key ID (KID)** |
| **License** | An active PayGlocal license |

::: info Terms you'll meet
A **KID** is the Key ID that identifies one of your RSA keys in PayGlocal's dashboard.
:::

## The ionCube Loader

PayGlocal ships as an ionCube-encoded build, so your server needs the **ionCube Loader** — a
small, standard PHP extension that runs protected commercial software. It is the *same* loader
WHMCS itself requires, so a server already running WHMCS almost always has it and you rarely need
to install anything new.

You need **ionCube Loader 13.0.2 or newer**. The exact version tracks your PHP version — WHMCS on
PHP 8.2 uses 13.0.2, PHP 8.3 uses 14.4.0, and newer 15.x loaders work too. One encoded build runs
on every supported PHP and loader version, so there is nothing to match up.

::: danger PayGlocal will not run without ionCube
If the ionCube Loader is missing or older than 13.0.2, the encoded gateway files won't run —
activation fails and no payments are processed. Enable **ionCube Loader 13.0.2 or newer** for your
PHP version (your host can do this in seconds) and try again.
:::

## What you need from PayGlocal

This gateway talks to PayGlocal on your behalf, so a few things must come from your PayGlocal
onboarding before it can work:

* A **PayGlocal merchant account** with a **Merchant ID (MID)**.
* A pair of **RSA keys** as `.pem` files: your **merchant private key** and **PayGlocal's public
  key**, each with its **Key ID (KID)**. You generate and download these in the PayGlocal **GCC
  dashboard**; the [PayGlocal key setup guide](/payglocal-whmcs/guides/payglocal-keys) walks
  through it.

Keep both `.pem` files in a directory **outside your web root**, readable only by the web-server
user.

## Why a license

PayGlocal is licensed software, and the license is what enables **payment processing itself** on
this gateway. The key is entered in the gateway's **License Key** field under
**Setup → Payment Gateways → PayGlocal**. While the license is inactive, payments are disabled
until it's active again. Your server also needs outbound HTTPS to reach relyweb.co for the check.
See [Licensing](/payglocal-whmcs/licensing) for the details.

## How to check

* **PHP and ionCube:** in WHMCS, open **Utilities → System → PHP Info** (or run `php -v` on the
  server) to confirm PHP 8.2+ and that the ionCube Loader is loaded at 13.0.2 or newer.
* **Extensions:** the same PHP Info page lists `curl` and `openssl`.
* **SSL:** load your WHMCS admin and client area over `https://` with no certificate warning.
* **PayGlocal:** confirm your MID is active and that you can generate keys in the GCC dashboard.

## Related pages

* [Installation](/payglocal-whmcs/installation) — upload, activate, and configure
* [PayGlocal key setup](/payglocal-whmcs/guides/payglocal-keys) — generate your RSA keys
* [Configuration](/payglocal-whmcs/configuration) — fill in the gateway settings
* [Licensing](/payglocal-whmcs/licensing) — the two license types